Vehicle mounted portable tent



March 2, 1954 H. SCHMIEGE VEHICLE MOUNTED PORTABLE TENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 9, 1952 1 INVENTOR HERBERT SCHMIEGE ATTORNEY March 2, 1954 H. SCHMIEGE VEHICLE MOUNTED PORTABLE TENT 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 9, 1952 ATTORNEY March 2, 1954 scH 2,670,747

VEHICLE MOUNTED PORTABLE TENT Filed May 9, 1952 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Flc. IO 7 9 Flc. I3 22 23 2 2| FIG. II

FIG. I 2

\ I2 U 6|" I I 4 50 IO INVENTOR 3O HERBERT SCHMIEGE ATTORNEY Patented Mar. 2, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VEHICLE MOUNTED PORTABLE TENT Herbert Schmiege, Saginaw, Mich. Application May 9, 1952, Serial No. 286,864

Claims. (01. 135-1) This invention relates to carriers and'more particularly to a collapsible tent including the frame therefor, designed to'be mounted upon the top of an automobile both while in transit and in use.

My invention is designed to be mounted on the top of an automobile-with the front end supported by the roof of the vehicle and the rear end supported by the rear bumper or the supports for the rear bumper- The invention provides certain conveniences not heretofore obtained by any type of camping equipment. By designing the tent structure to be mounted on the top of the vehicle, the entire interiorof the vehicle as well as the trunk is freed for the use of other equipment or passengers. By designing my tent to be used while still mounted on the top of the automobile, appreciable time is saved in eliminating the necessityjforremcving the tent from the vehiclefere'cting it and. atthe time of departure, remountirig it upon the vehicle. My invention also eliminatesth ei'time necessary for selecting a suitabla 'dry camping area as well as much of the equipment necessary to firmly secure the tent duringtheni'ghtl v Tenting equipment norinally' heavy and diifi cult to lift and move. All of this'pliysfic'al 'exer-I tion is eliminated by my inventionilMy vehicle mounted tent has the addedadvantage of being raised sufliciently above the ground'that it is never endangered by ground waters or flooding due'to excessive rainfall; Alsoyby being' spaced substantially above the ground, it'eliminates'irria tation from, ground? travelling] insects such as ants,'woodticks and other outdoorlife which are unlikely to scale the sides of a vehicle to enter In the-drawingsi Figure 1 is a side, elevation view ofa vehicle" with my tent mounted thereon.

Figure 2 Lean oblique view "of the base frame for y tent. V v Figure 3 is an oblique view oftlie frame structure for the upper portion of my tent."

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail of the means for attaching the;poles tothe uprightsof the 55 upper frame structureof my ane Figure 5 is an enlarged, detail view of a lower corner of theupper frame structure for mvtent.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary, side, elevation view of the rear supporting structure for my tent.

Figure 7 is a sectional-view taken along, the plane VII VII of Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a sectional view taken along the. plane VIIIVIII of Figure 6.,

Figure 9 is a fragmentary, rear view taken along the plane IX IX of Figure 6.

Figure 10 is a fragmentary, enlarged, side elevation view of the forward end of thebase frame for my tent. w a p Figure 11 is a side, elevation view of the support plate for the forward end of my tent.

Figure 12 is a sectional, elevation view taken along the plane XIIXII of Figure 1. r

Figure 13 is a front, elevation view of the tent portion of my invention. n v

Figure 14 is a fragmentary, plan view of a modified attachment for'the rear supports for my invention. 1

Figure 15 is an enlarged, fragmentary, oblique view of one of the legs of the side frame structure of my invention. Y I Y In executing the objects and purposes of my invention, I' have provided a complete .tent de signed to be mounted on the roof of a vehicle. The tent is supported upon a base frame secured at its rearward end to the rear bumper structure of the vehicle and its forward end having a pair of contoured plates designed to rest againstthe roof surface of the'vehicle. The forward end of the frame'is equipped with a pair of straps'one oneach side which extend down the post at each end of the windshield and are anchored to the cowl of the car. To the base frame there is mounted a collapsible tent framewhich mayv be erected to support a canvas tent when the tent is to be used as sleeping quarters and which may be collapsed into a substantially thin package for storage when the vehicle is in motion. .The

tent is so designed that when the frame is folded down and the tent structure tucked away, the tent encloses the frame and all other metal and wood parts of my invention.

In the following description the terms-" 65 Wardlyv and rearwardly are frequentlyused and are to be taken to mean fforwardly in the direction of normal motion of the vehicle," that is, to the left in Figure 1 and rearwardly away therefrom. The terms inwardly and outwardlyf will be frequently used and are to be taken to mean inwardly toward the geometric therefrom.

center of the structure andfoutwardlyj" 'awayf Referring specifically to the drawings, the numeral l indicates a floor frame (Figure 2) which on each side slidably supports a side frame 2 (Figure 3), which side frames, in turn, mount the collapsible top frame 3. The floor frame includes a pair of top fore and aft members 4 vertically positioned above a pair of lower fore and aft members 5. One upper and one lower fore and aft member are positioned on each side. The forward end of each of the lower fore and aft members 5 is curved downwardly to generally conform with the downward curvature of the forward portion of the roof of the vehicle 6. The side elements composed of the fore and aft members 4 and 5 are joined, at their forward ends, both vertically and transversely by a rearwardly and upwardly inclined framework]. The upper end of the framework 1 extends substantially above the upper fore and aft members 4.

The framework i is strengthened by a pair of of' an upper and lower fore'and aft member, at

its rearward end, terminates at a vertically arranged rectangular plate ll. Immediately adjacent both the forward framework 1 and the rearward framework it and at equally spaced intervals therebetween, floor supporting tubes l2 extend laterally between the upper fore and aft members 4. The tubes are welded to the upper surface of the upper fore and aft members 4, Y The forward ones of the intermediate floor supporting tubes 12 are braced by means of an arched member l3. fhe two rearward floor supporting tubes i2 are not provided with arched members but have a lower transverse tube l4 paralleling them between the lower fore and aft members 5. Vertical posts l5 extend between the upper and lower fore and aft members at each of the intermediate, floor supporting tubes I2"."'--- Atthe forward end of the floor frame are a pair of contoured plates 2%, one on each side of the frame (Figures 2, l and 11). The contoured plates 20 are shaped to fit the curvature of the forward end of the conventional vehicle. The'finish of the vehicle is protected by a resilient pad 2| which also helps to increase the fricbers 4 and at the forward end of the floor frame l. 'The lower end of each of the rods 24 is secured to one of the ears 22 by means of a bolt passing through the vertical slot 23. The use of the vertical slot 23 permits the height of the fore and aft ends'of the contour plate 26 to be adjusted to secure a snug fit against the top of the vehicle.

The support for the rearward end of the floor frame 1 consists of a pair of arched beams 39 (Figures 1, 6, '7, 8, 9 and 12). At their upper forward end, the arched beams terminate in a vertical plate 3! identical to the vertical plate H on the end of the floor frame l. The vertical plates II and 3| are detachably secured together by means of bolts 32. Between the two To each of the ears plates there is normally inserted a spacer 33 (Figure 6). The thickness of the spacer 33 varies from one installation to another, depending upon the make and model of the vehicle. Thus, the spacer serves as a quick and convenient means for adjusting my invention to fit various makes and models of vehicles. The arched beam 30 itself is composed of a plurality of tubes which at their upper forward end are arranged one under the other in a vertical column (Figure 8). The arrangement of these tubes gradually changes until, at the rearward end, they form a square (Figure '7). At its lower rearward end 30, a mounting plate 34 projects beyond the ends of the tubes. A portion of the mounting plate extends upwardly between the two pairs of tubes and iswelded thereto. The mounting plate 34 is provided with a number of pairs of mounting holes 35. The use of a plurality of holes 35 permits a certain amount of vertical adjustment of the point of attachment of the mounting plate 34 to the rear bumper of the vehicle. Actual attachment to the rear bumper of the vehicle is effected by means of a bumper gripping clamp such as is conventionally used for towing small trailers but modified to have a plate with holes in it to match the holes 35 in the mounting plate 34.

When my invention is to be mounted on a vehicle of such width that the arched beams 30. must be spaced further apart, the adjustment for this may be accomplished by the use of a pair of wing plates 652 (Figure '14) The wing plates are secured by the bolts 32 to the plate H and extend outwardly therefrom to mount the ends of the arched beams 30 by means of the bolts 8|. To cover this structure, an ornamental cover plate 82 is used over the outside. The cover plate 82, on one end, seats between the plate H and the vertical plate 3|. The forward end of the cover plate may be conveniently secured to the fore and'aft members 4 and 5 by screws Mounted to the floorframe i are a pair of side frames 2 (Figures 3 and 12). Each of the side frames consists of a main beam 40 mounting a plurality of L-shaped legs 4|. The legs 4| depend from the main beam 40 and all except the forward one 42 of the legs 41 are perpendicular to the main beam 49. The forward one 42 of the legs M is inclined forwardly to match the forward inclination of the framework '1. Each of the legs 4| has an inwardly extending arm 43 which is telescopically received into one of the. floor supporting tubes 2. Thus, the spacing of each of the side frames 2 from the center of the carrier is adjustable for purposes which will appear more fully hereinafter. At both their forward and rearward ends each of the main beams 40 mounts a pair of plates which, together with the main beam, forms a U-shaped clip 44 serving as one-half of the hinge by which the top frame 3 is secured to the side frames 2.

The top frame 3 (Figure 3) includes a pair of end arches 45 each of which, on each of its lower ends, is pivotally securedto one of the U- shaped clips 44 by means of a pin' ifi (Figure 5). The arches 45 are each made of tubular material and are hipped at 43 midway up their sides whereby they come to a pointedftop apex. The end arches 45 are of sufficient strength to support the hereinafter described tent but are flexible enough to be spread or closed slightly as the side frames 2 are moved toward or away from each other. At the top apex,the end arches45 45i onej-l ug'is mounted} atthe apex of eaeh' of the end' arches, and-one lug at each-offthe hip points 41 of each of the end 'a'rches: Thusjthe ridge pole 4B and hippoles 9 --a1- ee de quicklyand 'readilyremoyable when the tent is to be-collapsed."

Access to-the tent is proyided by meansio a;

ladder 52"(Figures -1'- enema- The upper endof for engaging the'rearward iframew ork HI; lower portionof the ladder'bears-"aga bumper of the vehicle Whe 7 close tothebody of-theveh" V H a step-shaped shield 54 to' '"g uard against dam age'to the vehicles -flnish -Whem the vehicle is in motion and-the ladder isnot in use, it-;is stored withinthe floor frame I between the floorsupa porting tubes 12 andthe lower; lateralmem- 4. V a t d. f 74 r .i..: The tent portion of my invention-consists pri-' marily of two parts, a top unit 60 and a floor unit 6| (Figure 12), The floor unit" is designed to fit between the side frames 2 and the forward framework 1 and rearward-frameworklg, Along both its-forward and rearward ends and along its sides it 'is turned up-to form an upwardly extending peripheral flange 62 Ad acent the upp r endof the flange and extending entirely around the" tent is a'separable slide fastenenfl (Figure The separable slide fiastener "'63 provides a substantially airtight joint between thefloorfunit BI and the top unit 60 'ofithe tent. Seated with in the'cup formed by the sides 62'of the'floor unit 6 HS aboard floor 64 consisting'of a wide central portion" 65 and a pair of r elatively narrow side portions 66. The'side portions 66 are designed to be lifted and slipped over the central portion 65 when the side frames 2 are pushed together and the tent stored for tran'sporta'tion. The floor 64'provides'a rigid support for sleeping equipment such as a mattress orf asleeping bag,

The top unit'BO of the tentcon'sistsof a main roof portion 61 which includes the side's'and .a forward'end 63 and a rearward 'end 691' The'top unit 60 of tlie'tent seatsbvef and ncases the top frame 3 except at the lower extremities'where itfis provided with a hole at each corner to permit the" bottoms of the end'ar'ches 45 topassjtherethrough? 'Along itslower"edge"the top portion unit 60 of the tent extends inwardly 'of thefs'ide frames-2 and then extends'downwardly on'the' outside of the side-flanges "of thefloor'unit 6| of the tent. Itis at this point joinedrto the floor unit 6| by means of the slide fastener 63. By-"ov'erlappingthe 'bottom'of the topunit' 60 on the outside of the sidefianges '62"of the floor unit St, the entrance-of moisture into the tent is prevented. The top unit Bflof the tentfisnot attached to the top frame butthe-side jlanges'tz of the floor unit-6l are tied--at certaimpoints tothe legs 4l of the side frames 2. Likewise the side portions 66 of the wooden floorareyat each corner of the'tent, tied to the legs 4l*of the side frames'z 'by means of'a 'cord'lfi- (Figure 5 5 r2 The rearward end of the top unit Bil is provided with flaps '10 designedto be usedas faccess qih m er o the t nt: Q 2. s l0- are secured -by a-vertical' slidefa'stener *TFat to the'top'ofthecarand ttpeent i; o'ftherearward' em sa apcta top siide fastener The slide ffas'tenr li extends -;iii3 anf arc"a9ijoss the*tofi 'offth flaps' 'lll 'witli onee; half the: slide fastener arranged on: each side :of' th yrtical slide fasteheif 1T1; The forward'i'endi 6g of the* tent isprdvidedfin' its'upperiportionj with" a semi-'circular' 'slide' fastener 14" whereby; a nap 15 maybe ppened foneross' ventilation;

when desirediFigure 13); e t p v The frame structure of my 'inventionfisimade from any suitablematerial such as steel or'alumis" numi Where strength-r'1ermits'; aluminum is'ia preferred material because. of its corrosion: re-L sistance and its light weighti; The tent portion of my invention is prefereably 'made of: a fabric, normally} heayyf weight; waterproof'edtdu'cki It: is; within the p'iirviewof my invention that other materials having satisfactory water repellarit 'andwearin qualities be-"substituted' for" the water:-ip fbofed duckgj ;The various seams ini the tent portion not joined-"by one' fof the". slide fasteners; are sewn together to proiiid'a water tig'ht jbiht;

V-Operatz'ong I .My'linventionisfdesighed' to 'mdur itedfasia uiiitlipfin the Vehiclatjthebeginnlhgfof the trip on which it is to ,be used," afnd thereafter it will only bei'emovedYwherifthetripis c it is no. longer needed Although i mountduponthecari blies, "it'is primarily designedto te moumed on the car as a' completeiun "in its collapsed and storedcondition "When first inountedjon h loosely 'su'ppdrte'd' byjthe contour plates? and rearward end supported many convenientmam nerl such ashianuallybr b ja 1g pe;rrq .a garage ceiling, the archedI'bea'ms 30jarflefattached; At this time" the'iparticuiar.t ickness' sewer-ea silitable'for'th iiiake'andlinddl the u'niti-is. t6. be mounted; wing plat-jest), if nee'ded'jairi H 32 are then 'piit ihfplaice fafi'dtig'htend t v g'idly secure the arched beams to the fioor frame 1. The bumperf clamps having previously been put in place, are new 'a dliistedfd'faligin,"withthe ened to the bumper. By means mounting plates. a4 onLthe'1twe 70f" the arched beams 30 are secu ed" V clampsfiThe' attaching" b'ol'tsif' are'passed through thosefof the'ho'le's 35 which suplidrt'thjfloorf frame I in alevel po'sitio r 1'. I 701166 the :back has beenattached, the b0 ts 21 securing the rods 24.13013116631522 31? loosened to permit the. contour plate'sill to' be adjusted to the, general. contour; of ,theljfihicle.i jljhese bolts 21 are then tightenedl andthei,U'ibblts 2 5 loosened to permit 'theqfiirward vend 'of th floor frame fl ito'ib'e raised i0'r l o A redwith';respect tg the roof r the irveh ei 1Th s permitstheframe to' be properly spaced froni their'ehicl'e" roof and the frame to be levelled. Qnce this has been accomplished, the. UF'boi Af r"the ea ius n ienv z a efheen m i rim pla 2.8' e-a ached "over: the s uct re holding the contour plate 2 I h do' s v 'an ui t rr r 1' V. proving the external 1 appe ance" pletedstructureqpThe front a I frame I is then secure d totheyehicle by a trap zs attached to each jorwardjcorner fifth floor frame? The straps 29ea'ch eXtefidd yln one of the corner posts of the windshield of the "vhicl and. are anchored to the cowl of the car beneath the hood. The anchorage to the cowl is made in such a way that the strap will not pull against the hood injuring the vehicles finish. The straps 29 prevent the whole structure from lifting off the car due to wind resistance when the car is in motion; the contour plates 2| provide support for the weight of the forward end of the structure while the arched beams 30 both support the weight of the rearward end of the structure and hold the structure against rearward movement both while the vehicle is in motion and due to the movement of people within the unit when it is being used as a tent.

The contour plates are but one means which may be used to support the forward end of the floor frame I on the vehicle. A semi-rigid, contoured beam may be substituted for these plates extending transversely of the vehicle. Such a beam may be made to conform to the vehicles contour becaus of its semi-rigidity under the weight of the tent and the downward pull of the straps 29.

Once the unit has been securely mounted to the car, the tent may be erected. The tent itself, in stored position, is folded down into the lower framework to provide a vertically thin, compact unit, offering a minimum of air resistance when the vehicle is in motion. The stored tent is covered by a water repellant, fabric or plastic cover entirely covering the top of the tent. The edges of the cover extend downwardly over the sides of the frame. This cover is secured to the frame by a rope running through eyelets in the side of the cover and looping tightly under each of the fingers 95 on the legs 41 of the side frames Ml. The fingers 94 are, on one end, welded to the legs M with their free ends projecting downwardly and outwardly from the legs (Figures 3 and The roping down of the cover holds the cover in place and keeps it taut whereby it will not collect pools of water. To rais this tent, the cover is removed and the tent loosened from the floor framework. The tent is then raised until the end arches 45 may be pivoted into their raised position. With the arches held upright, the ridge pole 48 and the hip poles 49 are put in place by hooking their ends into the lugs 5 I. This secures the end arches 45 against collaps and securely supports the top unit 60 of the tent. During the raising process, the flap H3 must be open to give access to the interior of the tent. After the tent has been raised, the side frames are pulled ouwardly to extend the tent floor to its full width. This permits the side portions 66 of the floor 64 to be pushed outwardly until they seat beside the central portion 65. Th tent is now fully erected and may be used by placing a mattress on the floor 56 or using the floor as a support for sleeping bags. The tent is so designed that it will comfortably sleep from one to three persons. To maintain the side portions 66 in proper position they are tied by of the strings T6 at each end to the legs 4| of the side frames 2.

Since the whole lower portion of the tent remains a fixed installation on the vehicle, no time is lost in erecting or assembling .a floor structure. The floor structure, including its enclosing fabric is ready for use at any time requiring only the adjustment of the side frames 2 and the placing of the side portions 66 of the floor. The same is true when the tent isstored for the day. This represents an appreciable saving in .time ands i V When erected, the tent is secure against cold wind, insects or moisture. When ventilation is needed, the slide fasteners 14 and" maybe opened as far as necessary to provide the desired air openings. These openings, when necessary, may be covered by insect screening.

When the tent is collapsed for transportation, the ridge pole 48 and hip poles 49 are laid on the floor of the tent and the end arches 45 are folded inwardly, one over the other, to give the stored unit a thin, flat contour. If desired, the mattress or sleeping bags may be left within the folded tent ready for use when the tent is next erected. It is thus seen that the tent may be rapidly erected and collapsed, substantially reducing the time normally necessary to make camp. At the same time, all the necessary equipment for providing secure sleeping quarters is carried in a single unit, compactly stored without interference with the rest of the vehicle.

Various modifications of my invention may be made without departing from the principle thereof. Each of these modifications is to be considered as included in the hereinafter appended claims unless these claims by their language ex pressly provide otherwise.

I claim 1. In a portable tent adapted to be mounted on the top of a vehicle having a rigid roof and a rear bumper, the combination including: a floor frame; means for anchoring the forward end of said floor frame to the forward end of said vehicle; a contoured support at the forward end of said floor frame, said contoured support adapted to seat upon the forward portion of said rigid roof; a pair of beams extending rearwardly and downwardly from the rearward end of said floor frame; means for attaching one end of each of said beams to the rear bumper of said vehicle; a pair of side frames mounted to said floor frame; one on each side thereof; a flexible water repellant sheet seated on said floor frame between said side frames and extending substantially the full length of said floor frame; said sheet having an upwardly extending peripheral flange therearound; a rigid floor seated on said sheet within said peripheral flange; an upwardly extending collapsible frame; a flexible water repellant canopy enclosing said collapsible frame; means detachably securing the lower end of said canopy to said peripheral flange of said sheet.

2. A portable tent as described in claim 1 wherein said floor frame has a plurality of spaced, parallel, transverse, tubular members; said pair of side frames being disposed, one on each side of said floor frame; each of said side frames having a plurality of L-shaped legs; one end of each of said legs being telescopically and slidably received in one end of one of said tubular members.

3. A portable tent as described in claim 1 wherein said floor frame has a plurality of spaced, parallel, transverse, tubular members; said pair of side frames being disposed, one on each side of said floor frame; each of said side frames having a plurality of L-shaped legs; one end of each of said legs being telescopically and slidably received in one end of one of said tubular members; said rigid floor being divided into a central portion and a pair of side portions adapted to slide over said central portion when said side frames are pushed toward each other.

4.. In a portable tent adapted to be mounted on the top of a vehicle having a rigid roof and a rear bumper, the combination including: a fioor frame; means for anchoring the forward end of said floor frame to the forward end of said vehicle; a contoured support at the forward end of said floor frame, said contoured support adapted to seat upon the forward portion of said rigid roof; a pair of beams extending rearwardly and downwardly from the rearward end of said floor frame; a spacer between said floor frame and each of said beams, said spacer being one of a plurality of thicknesses selected to compensate for variable lengths of vehicles; means for attaching one end of each of said beams to the rear bumper of said vehicle; a pair of side frames mounted to said floor frame, one on each side thereof; a flexible water repellant sheet seated on said floor frame between said side frames and extending substantially the full length of said floor frame; said sheet having an upwardly extending peripheral flange therearound; a rigid floor seated on said sheet within said peripheral flange; an upwardly extending collapsible frame mounted to said side frames; a flexible water repellant canopy enclosing said collapsible frame; means for detachably securing the lower end of said canopy to said peripheral flange of said sheet.

5. In a portable tent adapted to be mounted on the top of a vehicle having a rigid roof and a rear bumper, the combination including: a floor frame; means for anchoring the forward end of said floor frame to the forward end of said vehicle; a contoured support at the forward end of said floor frame, said contoured support adapted to seat upon the forward portion of said rigid 1G roof; a pair of beams extending rearwardly and downwardly from the rearward end of said floor frame; means for attaching one end of each of said beams to the rear bumper of said vehicle; a pair of side frames mounted to said floor frame, one on each side thereof; a flexible water repellant sheet seated on said floor frame between said side frames and extending substantially the full length of said floor frame; said sheet having an upwardly extending peripheral flange therearound; a rigid floor seated on said sheet within said peripheral flange; a collapsible frame including an upwardly extending arch mounted at each end of said side frames for pivotal movement from a vertical to a substantially horizontal position; a plurality of detachably mounted poles secured to and between said end frames; a flexible water repellant canopy enclosing said collapsible frame both when erected and when collapsed, said canopy and said collapsible frame, in stored condition being received within said side frames as a relatively thin rectangular unit.

HERBERT SCHMIEGE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,186,584 Halvrsen Jan. 9, 1940 2,222,636 Strauss Nov. 26, 1940 2,291,900 Jimmes Aug. 4, 1942 2,561,168 Beckley July 17, 1951 

